Treatment of severe recalcitrant plaque psoriasis with single-dose intravenous tumour necrosis factor-alpha antibody (infliximab)

Infliximab is a chimeric anti-tumour necrosis factor-alpha antibody that has been demonstrated to have marked efficacy in the treatment of psoriasis. Seven patients with chronic plaque psoriasis were treated with single-dose intravenous infliximab (5 mg/kg), and the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) and Dermatology Life Questionnaire Index (DLQI) were used as a measure of treatment efficacy. There was an average improvement in PASI scores of 69% at 2 weeks post infusion. There was an improvement in DLQI of 61%. Four of the seven patients were also seen at 10 weeks post infusion and the improvement in PASI and DLQI was sustained. All patients tolerated the initial infusion well without adverse events. The results indicate that single-dose infliximab is an effective and efficacious therapy for recalcitrant psoriasis and has a prolonged therapeutic effect.